


Honey & Lemon

by CynicalRainbows



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: F/F, Pretty much all fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 01:57:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10479489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynicalRainbows/pseuds/CynicalRainbows
Summary: Patsy is a firm believer in home remedies.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Evenatango](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evenatango/gifts).



They had debated all the way through buying the film tickets, bickered through the credits and just plain argued as they began the walk to the bus stop: Delia insisting she was fine really and would be right as rain the next day, Patsy insisting that Delia really needed to take SOMETHING to ease her throat, even if she didn't like the taste of cough lozenges.

Delia had thought she was winning the argument- at least until Patsy grabbed Delia’s arm and dragged her across the road. But it was a grocers they stopped in front of, not a chemist.

A red faced woman wearing a flowered pinafore was packing leftover apples into a wooden box in front of the shop, sighing every time she had to stretch- but when she noticed Patsy, she straightened up and smiled.

‘Are you closed?’

‘Closing, love. But don’t let that stop you, if you want to take any of this of our hands, it’s less for me to pack.’

‘Thank you- I was actually hoping to buy a lemon, if you had one left.’

In response, the woman went to the doorway and craned her head in.

‘Bert- lady here wants a lemon. Throw me one, will you?’

A pause, and then the slow, heavy footsteps of a man from inside. The woman’s husband carefully handed the lemon over, pushing his cap back with one hand.

‘I’m not going to go throwing things. Not unless I want a window broken. Does she want any pears? Need to get rid of them.’

‘I haven’t asked her yet. But I daresay she doesn’t.’

Off the woman’s questioning glance, Patsy gave an apologetic smile and shook her head.

The man gave a heavy sigh and trudged back into the shadows of the shop while Delia tried not to giggle.

‘Two shillings, love. Dear, I know, but-’

‘No, it’s perfectly fine’ Patsy was rummaging for her purse- Delia rather wanted to reassure the woman that Patsy was not deliberately trying to hint at reluctance to pay, her bag really just was that untidy for once.

‘Making a pie? Had a bit of a rush on them recently since that recipe in Women’s Own.’

‘No, it's- my boyfriend. He has a cold, so- honey and lemon, you know.’

‘Ah!’ The woman smiled. ‘Nothing so helpless as a man when it comes to nursing.’

Delia had expected Patsy to nod along stiffly as she paid- they were after all discussing a fictional boyfriend. What she had not expected was for Patsy to give a lopsided smile of acknowledgement and to reply fondly ‘Well he didn’t even want to admit he was ill at first. But- I couldn’t just go on, knowing he had a sore throat and was doing nothing about it.’

‘Young love’ The woman grinned knowingly. ‘There’s nothing like it for consideration. Long may it last, I say.’

‘I suppose it is. Love, I mean.’

Was Patsy BLUSHING?

‘I think it will last though. I- I’ve never been so happy.’

She was definitely blushing.

‘Lovely in the first few months, isn’t it? Until they get comfortable and start WASTING MONEY ON CIGARETTES.’

The last few words were shouted, in the direction of the shop. The man’s voice floated back to them: ‘Leave it out, woman. I don’t say nothing about you smoking them too!’

‘Does your chap smoke, love?’

‘No’ Patsy shook her head. ‘I’m afraid to admit I’m the smoker, actually. He doesn’t care for it at all, though. Says he can smell it on my hair and it reminds him of work- the men there smoke too.’

Delia’s head gave a little jerk at that. She had assumed until then that Patsy was fabricating everything she said, perhaps out of some desire to create a sort of alibi with the grocer’s wife- although she’d never gone that far before. But….she herself had complained about the smell of Patsy’s Players that very morning, telling Patsy that it reminded her too much of the young men she cared for on Male Surgical, all of whom complained loudly at not being able to smoke on the ward and who held the smell of Wild Woodbine for days after they were admitted.

‘He hasn't tried to talk you out of it?’

‘Oh he has- but he’s far too kind to give me an ultimatum or anything like that. Lucky though- I find it terribly hard to say no to him, really. Which I suppose is a good thing. He’s usually right. Nearly always right, in fact.’

‘What wouldn’t my Bert give to hear me saying that about him!’ The woman snorted with laughter at the thought, and turned to Delia.

‘What about you, love? Got a fella?’

It was on the tip of Delia’s tongue to say no, as she always did to such questions- but this time, she found herself nodding instead.

‘Yes, I do. And- he’s lovely. Perfect, really.’

‘No one's perfect, Deels.’

Patsy was looking at her oddly.

‘Yes. He is.’ Delia held her gaze steadily. ‘He won’t accept it, but he is.’

‘Better listen to her there, love.’ The woman winked at Patsy. ‘Can’t argue with a woman smitten.’

Patsy gave a half smile and shrugged. ‘I suppose you’re right.’

‘Are you going to stand there gassing all night?’ Bert broke into the conversation. ‘ We’ll never get closed at this rate.’

‘You go back in and keep your hair on!’

Chastised, Bert subsided with a grunt and the woman turned apologetically to Patsy. ‘Really should get on though. Nice talking to you girls though. Hope everything keeps sweet with those chaps of yours.’

‘Don’t worry.’ Delia met her smile and then turned to Patsy. ‘It will.’

**Author's Note:**

> Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to find the price of a lemon in 1958?  
> Hard, is the answer!  
> If anyone can give me a more accurate price, I would be most grateful!
> 
> Also, this fic is entirely due to the lovely Evenatango, who is responsible for the honey in my kitchen cupboard!


End file.
